They are not famous, nor are they looking for fame. But when a group of 25 World War II, Korean War and Vietnam veterans who work at or have retired from Snap-on Inc. landed in Baltimore en route to the nation’s capital to visit war memorials, they were recognized and greeted with a standing ovation. This flight and another were made possible last year by Snap-on’s donation of $50,000 to the Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit organization that honors American veterans for their sacrifices.
Since the inaugural Honor Flight, Snap-on has donated another $50,000. Snap-on has hosted three flights to date, one with 25 veterans and two others with 26 veterans apiece.
All flights also included a like number of companions — spouses, children and lifelong friends — traveling with the veterans.
There are two more confirmed flights scheduled for June and October; each flight reserved for 26 associates and their companions.
This commitment to the company’s veterans should come as no surprise when you consider that William Rayburn, former chairman and CEO, and Nick Pinchuk, current chairman and CEO, are veterans. True to the cause, both attended the inaugural visit to the capital last year.
Every veteran has his own story to tell. But no matter the individual details, the running theme for all is that they were willing to give their all for their country. And some came pretty close to doing just that.
Take Ed Adams, for example. Adams, a 32-year Snap-on associate who retired as the chief engineer in research and engineering, defied all odds in WWII — at least for a while. But as a B-26 pilot who had been on 28 missions in the European theater, the odds finally caught up with him when his plane was shot down. Of the six crew members, only he and his radioman survived. After being thrown from the plane and pulling his ripcord, he landed remarkably right next to the plane, again defying all odds.
To this day, Adams still wonders why he was spared. But being spared had its price, as he and his radioman were captured by the Germans. First there was interrogation, followed by the train trip to one of the most dreaded places on earth at the time — Nuremberg, Germany, home of Stalag III-A. After three weeks in that POW camp, the Germans took all of the POWs on a four-week march to Stalag VII-A, the largest German POW camp, which was located in Moosburg, Bavaria.
But on April 29, 1945, they were liberated by none other than Gen. George S. Patton: “There was cheering when they came in for us. Then we listened to him give a speech. We were told all the time before to stick together and keep quiet. So, after they came in and gave his speech, it was quiet, there was no gunfire.”
Adams was awarded the Air Medal with five clusters (each representing five missions), the Purple Heart the POW medal.
And then there’s the story of Snap-on retiree Werner Steinseifer. A Corporal in the U.S.10th Mountain Division in Italy, Steinseifer trained in the Cheyenne Mountains in preparation for the harsh conditions he and his division would face in the Alps. It was training that paid off, as they would sleep on a mountain in two-man tents in -25°F temperatures.
Then came a fateful three weeks. On Jan. 28, 1945, the 10th Mountain Division faced German positions along the 5-mile Monte Belvedere ridge. Other divisions had attempted to assault Mount Belvedere three times, only holding it temporarily.
To get to Mount Belvedere, the division had to take a ridge line known as the Riva Ridge, which the Germans did not fortify well because they considered scaling a 1,500-foot vertical ascent an impossibility. That assumption turned out to be a grave mistake for the Germans, as the Americans overran them on the night of Feb. 18.
As a result of the Mount Belvedere siege, the Americans were able to capture German prisoners. And because Steinseifer could speak German, he had to sit down and question these men, who just hours before were trying to kill him and his buddies.
Although reluctant to discuss medals, we did learn that Steinseifer was awarded several, including the Bronze Star. He’s just matter-of-fact about the experience: “I appreciated home and country more — we all did. But, when you came home, you just went back to work.”
He added that the most usable skill learned in the military was “to follow orders and do your best.” Steinseifer certainly did that, and continued to do so at Snap-on for 44 years. When he retired in 1986, he was the most senior associate out of 6,200.
‘More than just you’
One thing that happens to every young soldier during war: You grow up fast. Jim Bosch remembers the day that it happened to him. “I was just 19 years old, running a convoy one day, and I heard an explosion. One of the convoy tanks blew up; two were killed and the driver was injured. At this point, I decided this wasn’t a game.”
Bosch started out as a door gunner on a helicopter, and then was promoted to crew chief, which made him responsible for making sure everything on the helicopter was working. At the tender age of 20, he had assumed a leadership role — but that’s what everybody did. “The pilot,” he points out, “was just 21.”
Being in the military in Vietnam, which Bosch describes as the “Wild West,” left a huge impression on him. In fact, he credits it with helping him in work and life. “I consider people to be the most valuable asset in the world,” he says. “Teamwork is very big — you have to be more than just you.”
It’s somewhat remarkable that Bosch feels this way, though, given the reception that he got when he returned home from the military: “It took about five years to get it out of my head. When I came back, I took a cab home from the airport, and there was nothing to welcome me back. It was disheartening. I worked at a trailer company, and three days after I got back, I was back at work.”
Bosch has worked at Snap-on for almost 16 years, and is currently working in the Milwaukee plant as a machinist.
Another Vietnam vet, who was in for a rude awakening when it came to adjusting to home life, was Morris Folk.
“The woman who became my wife and I were dating when I got back,” he recalls. “We went to a movie and while walking into the theater, a car backfired — and I hit the ground.”
Still, Folk would recommend the military to young people. “I would tell them what my mentor told me, ‘The Army will be what you make of it,’” he says.
To clear his head, Folk enjoys motorcycle trips, fishing and working on old cars. But life is unpredictable, whether it’s in the military or as a civilian. Folk likes to tell this story to illustrate the point: “We go on a lot of motorcycle trips. About six years ago, we went with two other couples to Albuquerque, and drove up to Santa Fe and on to Silverton, Colorado. The trees were changing, and we had fairly good weather. The very next day, it snowed 24 inches!”
Folk has been with Snap-on for 36 years as a franchisee in Warsaw, Ind. He credits the military with helping him in life and business. Specifically, he says the military has helped him follow a program and to follow up on the things you need to do. And his general philosophy on life is simple, but poignant: “Follow the Golden Rule.”
Folk greatly appreciated the D.C. trip honoring him and the rest of the Snap-on military vets. “The Snap-on Honor Flight trip was a great trip,” he says. “We flew out of Ft. Wayne and because of a late arrival, we had to run from one end of the airport to another. But it couldn’t have been a better time. It was when the monuments were shut down to the general public, but they let the veterans through.”
Indeed, let the veterans through.
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